BRUCE YARDLEY...The Sri Lankan Coach

COLOMBO, July 22: Bruce Yardley's eye problem is far worse than it was anticipated. The Sri Lankan coach, who left Colombo last week to seek medical attention in Perth, Australia, has lost his problematic left eye.

The former Australian off-spinner who took over from compatriot Dave Whatmore as the National coach, had undergone a surgery of the eye sometime back. However, he could not subject himself to the mandatory periodic check-up that was required after the surgery.

The choc-a-bloc international and domestic cricket assignments left him with very little time to spare for medical assistance as a result of which vision in his neglected eye kept on deteriorating to an extent that he has now lost the eye. The damaged eye will now be replaced by a glass eye.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.